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Hey guys, I'm new to the forums. I'm 17 years old and just recently bought a manual 2005 Honda Civic EX coupe. I don't know anything about modding, let alone cars. Some questions I want to ask (please don't bash me haha):

I want to get a CAI and was wondering if AEM or Injen is the best way to go. I know everyone says preference, but I don't know what to look for. What's a good source to check how both of them sound on a car similar to mine?

Also, the previous owner of the car said something about making the pipe (i think he was talking about the pipe leading to the muffler) bigger. Is this a normal mod? He said it helped him accelerate smoother or something like that. The problem is that when people sit in the back seats, the pipe makes a really irritating rattling sound. I was wondering if the pipe is truly the cause of this noise and does the reasoning sound like a legit reason?

Lastly, any suggestions on how to learn about cars and modding?

Thanks guys.

And sorry if I made no sense at all, I'm an exciting 17 year old trying to make my drive a little more fun.

03BlueCivic

iTrader: (4)

a cold air intake really isnt going to net any power gains. it'll just make your car louder. so with that in mind any brand is fine. just make sure it has a good filter on it.

as far as the 'bigger pipe' is concerned some pictures might be nice. does it have an aftermarket exhaust on it? because he might have installed a catback on it.

most likely the pipe is hitting against the unibody somewhere. put the car up on jack stands and climb underneath and bang on the exhaust with your fist adn see if it hits anywhere.

hope this helps some.

btw. welcome to the site

ronaldo9

iTrader: (6)

You cant go wrong with eiter Injen or AEM. I like the AEM v2 bc it doesnt go down in the engine bay so I dont have to worry about hydrolock and cleaning the damn filter every 2k miles. As for the muffler, the rattling may be from the heat shield if its an axel back. Most aftermarket exhausts do rattle somewhat so may just have to get used to it.

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Thanks for the advice guys. I'm not trying to race or make my car a ricer, I just want that awesome sound the CAI gives . Also, can you guys explain to me why does the filter need to be clean and how to clean it?

I'm deciding between http://www.procivic.com/pages-main_p...r-intakes.html

the aem CAI, injen CAI, or the v2 intake system.
Also, what in the world does short ram intake mean? What's the difference between short ram and CAI? What's better for a daily driver and a driver who doesn't want to maintain a lot.

About the piping done to my car, I'll take some pictures of it as soon as possible.

Thanks for the help guys.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

do not get cold air, you could ruin your engine if you drive over a deep puddle and suck water in. just get the short intake that has the filter in the engine bay instead of on the ground almost.

Envy

iTrader: (1)

just get a short ram. itll look just as nice and sound the same. power gains will also be similar.

03BlueCivic

iTrader: (4)

you need to keep your filter clean because a dirty filter does not allow air to pass thru it so your engine doesnt get the air it needs.

i agree with gearbox and envy a short ram air is better than a cai. i've had both and there is no difference in sound or anything

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Alright, I guess I will look into buying a short ram intake for my car.

Is the maintenance the same for CAIs and short rams?

Also, do you guys suggest any good sites for buying civic intakes?
I'm looking at www.procivic.com and I think I might buy the Injen Short Ram Intake. It looks pretty nice haha.

Is it pretty easy to install? I have a few friends that are experienced in modding their cars so they can help out with the installation.

And for about 180 bucks, you guys think it's a good investment if I just want the sound and a few extra horsepower?

Thanks a lot guys...you guys are giving me great information

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

its mainly for looks and the sound. install is pretty easy too.

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Thanks gearbox. I think I'm going to get a Injen SRI in about a month or so .

Also, my windows are tinted dark (illegal tint) i don't know what the percentage is, but i was wondering is it likely for the cops to pull me over for the tint? and how much is the ticket in California or wherever you guys might be from?

Thanks guys

03BlueCivic

iTrader: (4)

whether or not the cops will pull you over depends alot on where you live. but from my experience as soon as you make your car loud they will target you a hell of a lot more. so i'd rip the tint off and make it legal. if your lucky they'll just bust you with a fix it ticket and then you wont get a huge fine.

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the tint looks so nice though haha...and plus, i bought the car tinted like that. If i go to a shop, how much do you think they will charge for removal?

xceed09.slvrstr

the tint can just be pulled off yourself. u could just use a fresh blade and peel the edge and just pull. you'll be left with some adhesive but it'll come off with just soapy water. i dont know about cali. but here in hawaii, tint darker than 35% can be cited for over $200 per glass tinted.

about the intake, short ram is ur best bet. it'll be much easier to get to for maintaining than a CAI.

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ahhh....200 per glass? Damn...not worth the risk i guess.
Yeah, I think I'm going to get a SRI because of you guys and it's cheaper then CAIs.

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Ok guys...new problem just occurred with the engine.

I was learning how to drive manual (I'm a new driver). On a hill, i stalled and for some reason when i tried to start up the engine, it wouldn't start up. I was panicking, then I just decided to let my step dad start it up. He started the car, but then it was doing some weird noises from the exhaust. After getting on a flat surface, I went to start driving again. The problem is that when I go higher than 3,000 rpm, my engine or car starts to have this weird going back and fourth motion but still driving. Also, the engine light turned on. What could be the problem?

Sorry If I didn't explain the situation that well, let me know if you guys need any other information (I'm not very orientated with cars so don't ask complicated questions haha). My step dad says it could be a problem with the fuel injection (the car starts doing the weird thing when it goes higher than 3,000 rpm).

03BlueCivic

iTrader: (4)

if your check engine light is on the first thing to do is get it read. go to autozone or some place like that where they will scan it for free adn see what it says. then give as an update with that info

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

was your gas low? maybe on the hill it was sitting away from the fuel takeup and threw the engine light. now the car is in safe mode. so yeah figure out what the code is and come back. if its not serious, you can just reset it.

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alright, my step dad just took it to the mechanic this morning. He said the engine was running fine (it wasn't doing that weird motion when going more than 3,000 rpm). I will update once I get the information from the mechanic.

Also, I was wondering if my engine is or has VTEC. I read on the Honda website that 2005 EX Coupes have a vtec engine.
How do I know? What I know is that my engine is 1.7 liters and my car is silver haha. Thanks for all your help guys, you guys make civicforums a great site.

03BlueCivic

iTrader: (4)

if your car is an ex then yes it has vtec. the way to find out is look at the engine code. it is stamped into your block. if you look at the center of your engine then look down then to the left you'll see a code stamped there. your car should say D17A2. A2 means it has vtec. A1 means it doesnt.

blueninjacivic

iTrader: (2)

yea u car has vtec u wont notice the vtec kick in until 6200rpms (stock). but thats when ur drivin hard. i got mine set at 4500

03BlueCivic

iTrader: (4)

it actually kicks in around 2700 rpm. honda released a tech service bulletin about it. i'll try to find it

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Can you guys give me a brief simple description of what vtec does? And does it help with racing or everyday drive? Also, how would I know if the engine went to the vtec or does vtec or whatever it does to get to vtec hahaha? Sorry for asking noob questions.

Thanks again. Your information is very appreciated.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

something happens at around 2800rpm, but its not the cam switchover. maybe just a partial signal or something. the real vtec (which is a switch in the camshaft profile to let in more air by using all 16 valves), is not active unless 4 conditions are met: 100% throttle, coolant at normal operating temp, rpm above 4500, and proper oil pressure. only then does the ecu send a 12v signal to the vtec solenoid to pop and switch cam positions. will you feel it? not really. its just for more hp when youre racing, and better mpg when youre not. 99% of the time you will never even use it unless you floor the gas all the time. this info was all proved with a data logger by a member here long ago.

Envy

iTrader: (1)

if your on full throttle and the engine starts making a different noise than usual and your accelerating a little faster than usual, you have vtec engaged.

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hahaha coool... VTEC POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks gearbox and envy.

I'll be back later to tell you guys the problems the mechanic might point out. Thanks again

03BlueCivic

iTrader: (4)

i think whatever happens at 2700-2800 rpm is purely for gas milage sake.

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hey guys...got the car back, everything is alright. thank goodness

quick question guys...i want to clean out the engine and stuff under the hood. How would I go about this without damaging the electrical stuff? I know to cover up the electrical equipment, but I don't think I'm that knowledgeable to know what's right and what's wrong when covering it up. How much would it cost to have it professionally cleaned? And where would I go to have this done? Thanks guys.

I want to clean out the gunk stuff under the hood before I install a SRI

blueninjacivic

iTrader: (2)

get the engine cleaning stuff from autozone or something. spray it on while the engine is on, let it sit for a min then spray it off with water

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Hey guys...Here's a picture of the 2005 Civic EX I just bought.
Not a great picture, but it's one in the rain .
It's just lowered about 1 1/2 inch.

03BlueCivic

iTrader: (4)

should be a good start. looks like you need a camber kit in the rear tho